December 5, 2022
In 2010, a theory began circulating on the internet explaining faulty memories that seem to affect many people. Fiona Broome called this phenomenon of collective misremembering the “Mandela effect” and suggested that these erroneous memories are actually proof that parallel universes or realities exist. Use this guide to discuss the Mandela Effect and explore the relevant questions of group psychology, memory, and multiverse theory.
Free Article: Skeptical Inquirer July/August 2022
Discussion:
Explain the history of the Mandela Effect to the group as explained in the article. Use this as a springboard for a deeper discussion on false memories.
- Do you know any good examples of the Mandela effect?
- Have you ever been caught in a false memory? How did it make you feel? Does this help explain why people double down on these beliefs even after the truth is exposed?
Group Activity:
- Visit the following website and look through some examples of the Mandela Effect. Have members of your group vote on which picture they believe is the real one and document how frequently they are correct. 50 examples of the Mandela effect.
- Prepare a piece of paper with the following words:
Bed / rest / awake / tired / dream / wake / snooze / blanket /
doze / slumber / snore / nap / peace / yawn / drowsy
After your group members have read them, take the paper away and ask them to write down every word that they remember. Document how many related words that are not included in the list, your members write down. Then discuss how false memories can be created in this way.
Important Citations:
Stein & Dobrijevic (2021) Do Parallel Universes Exist? We Might Live in a Multiverse.
About the Author:
Massimo Polidoro is an investigator of the paranormal, lecturer, and cofounder and head of CICAP, the Italian skeptics group. Visit his website here.